PCM softball claims HOIAC championship

PERRY — Four players had two hits, Libby Winters earned her first win of the season in the circle and the PCM softball team wrapped up the Heart of Iowa Athletic Conference title following a 12-0 win over Perry on Wednesday.

The Mustangs and Jayettes completed a suspended game from earlier this season. PCM led 8-0 when the game was stopped on June 16. The visitors added four runs in the top of the fifth to end the game early.

PCM has won seven straight games against Perry. It swept the season series with wins of 11-1 and 12-0.

Addi Hudnut led the offense with two hits, one double, two runs and four RBIs and she was hit by one pitch.

Tori Lindsay, Camden Webb and Kyra Naeve also had two hits each. Lindsay added one run, one RBI and one steal, Webb doubled, scored two runs and totaled two RBIs and Naeve scored two runs and tallied one RBI. Naeve is batting .500 this summer.

Peyton Lathrum finished with one hit, one run and two RBIs in her first career start in the outfield. Addison Steenhoek contributed one hit and two RBIs, Lillian Humpal totaled one hit and one run and Hadley Millang doubled and was hit by a pitch.

Holly Wood scored two runs, Jorja Teeter scored one run and stole one base and Winters stole her team-leading 19th base.

Winters (1-0) spun all five innings and allowed no earned runs on two hits and fanned eight in the circle.

The Mustangs (19-3, 14-0 in the conference) out-hit Perry (4-8, 4-7) 12-2, and PCM committed zero errors.

PCM 11, South Hamilton 1

JEWELL — The Mustangs completed Wednesday by taking down South Hamilton, 11-1, during a HOIAC road contest.

PCM led 4-0 after two and scored three in the third and three in the fourth to help end its night early.

It was the Mustangs’ 10th straight win over South Hamilton, which dropped to 7-17 and 2-10 in the conference.

PCM, which out-hit the Hawks 14-1, swept the season series following an 11-0 win earlier this season.

Winters and Naeve finished with three hits to lead the offense, while Lindsay and Millang each posted two hits.

Naeve laced two doubles, scored one run, had three RBIs and stole two bases, Winters doubled, scored two runs and stole one base and Lindsay doubled, scored one run, totaled one RBI, stole one base and was hit by one pitch.

Winters leads the Mustangs with a team-best 27 runs and 44 total bases. Lindsay has been hit by a team-most 11 pitches.

Millang contributed one run and one RBI, Humpal doubled, scored two runs and had one RBI, Wood tallied one hit, one run, one RBI and one steal and Steenhoek collected one hit and one RBI. Humpal leads PCM with 20 RBIs.

Webb collected one hit, Hudnut had one RBI and Lathrum, Ryan DeVore and Carly Wilkerson all scored one run.

Webb (7-2) earned the win in the circle. She allowed no earned runs on one hit and two walks and fanned 10 in five innings.

Weather has affected several games the past few weeks. Monday’s game against Nevada was suspended in the fourth with PCM up 8-0, but the Cubs have not expressed interest in making the game up and also have not yet forfeited the win to PCM.

Thursday’s non-conference home contest against Pella Christian was canceled due to storms in the area.

The Mustangs won the conference championship by at least four games in the loss column.

PCM splits pair at Roland-Story tournament

ROLAND — A five-run fifth inning broke a tie game against 4A Glenwood on Friday, and the Mustangs went on to win the non-conference game 6-1 at the Roland-Story tournament.

Class 4A No. 12 Grinnell defeated PCM, 4-0, in the Mustangs’ other game. All three Mustang losses this season have come against 4A schools.

The Rams out-hit PCM, but they committed five errors in the loss.

The Mustangs scored first and led 1-0 until Glenwood tied the game in the fourth. PCM scored six runs on five hits.

Steenhoek finished with two hits and one double, Webb totaled two hits and one RBI and Humpal added one hit, two runs, one walk and one steal to lead the Mustangs. Steenhoek leads PCM with 10 doubles.

Lindsay walked twice, scored one run and stole one base, Naeve walked once, had one RBI and stole one base and Winters, Lathrum and Wood all scored one run. Ryan DeVore and Wood also stole one base.

Parsons (11-1) earned the win in the circle after tossing five innings and allowing one earned run on two hits with five strikeouts. She lowered her earned run average to 1.65.

Webb tossed one inning and surrendered three hits and fanned two and Winters walked one and fanned two in her one inning.

Glenwood (11-17) got two hits each from Allison Koontz and Alyssa Liddick.

Koontz also went the distance in the circle and took the loss but only one PCM run was earned.

Grinnell (24-4) scored all four of its runs in the fifth and out-hit PCM 6-3 in the other game. It was the Tigers’ sixth straight win over the Mustangs.

Naeve had two hits and one double and Steenhoek doubled for PCM’s hits. Lillian Knapp walked once and Lindsay and DeVore both were hit by pitches.

Webb started in the circle and took the loss. She surrendered four earned runs on six hits and two walks with one strikeout in 4 2/3 innings. Her 1.68 ERA ranks 10th in 3A.

Winters pitched the final 1 1/3 innings and gave up no hits, no runs and one walk and fanned three.